City’s ‘Dhruv’, first private lab in region authorised to test Covid-19 samples
| Date :03-May-2020 |
Principal Correspondent :
The lab had similar honour during swine flu outbreak
Out of 24 private laboratories approved in State, 22 are in Mumbai-Pune-Thane, one each in Nashik and Nagpur
In the wake of rise in number of persons with symptoms of novel coronavirus in State, Maharashtra government has authorised 24 private laboratories to shoulder the responsibility of testing the samples. Dhruv Pathology and Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of Nagpur became the first private laboratory in the region recognised by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for Covid-19 testing by Real Testing Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).
This is the sixth laboratory in Nagpur to have Covid-19 testing facility. Currently five laboratories are functioning in Nagpur including Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Centre for Zonosis of Nagpur Veterinary College (affiliated to Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (MAFSU) and National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). With increase in COVID-19 suspects daily, the load on the laboratory at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) has also increased. IGGMCH laboratory staff was doing it single-handedly.
Initially, in Maharashtra, National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune was authorised to test samples received from across the State. All the samples of any viral diseases were to be sent to NIV. During swine flu outbreak, Government came up with the decision of setting up of another laboratory at IGGMCH. The laboratory was developed on the basis of standard norms prescribed by NIV, Pune.
During swine flu outbreak, IGGMCH shouldered the responsibility well. When load increased further, the State government authorised some private laboratories including Dhruv Pathology run by Dr Shailendra Mundhada and Dr Madhavi Deshmukh in Nagpur to conduct the tests. Recently, Dhruva Pathology had sent proposal to ICMR which after examining the details asked the laboratory to do some modifications. In the next inspection, ICMR finally gave approval and its latest notification included it in the list. It is the only private laboratory in Central India to get the permission to test samples for COVID-19. The testing facility at AIIMS, Nagpur is doing well, mostly doing testing of the samples of persons from Vidarbha area--Yavatmal, Amravati and Nagpur too.
The testing facility at Centre for Zonosis at Nagpur Veterinary College has all the facilities for examining the samples for coronavirus. The laboratory has been conducting tests since long. Machines at zonosis centre are different than the ones at IGGMCH or AIIMS and was given approval due to its compatibility by IGGMCH. GMCH has got the machine and got approval from ICMR. NEERI too was added in the list. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, has been designated ‘Mentor Institute’ by ICMR, to handhold and mentor medical colleges and to facilitate the establishment of COVID-19 diagnostic facilities for the state of Maharashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It does not include GMCH at Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune. Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha is another laboratory in Vidarbha that was approved by ICMR for testing sample for COVID-19. Apart from NEERI, the other five institutes affiliated to CSIR are conducting tests of samples to determine COVID-19 cases. There are total six CSIR institutes doing the yeoman’s work and contributing to contain coronavirus.
NMC conducts survey of high risk population Meanwhile, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is probably the first city in India to start survey of high risk population to contain COVID-19. NMC has formed 500 teams that would conduct survey in the city having about 30 lakh citizens. The survey will help in collecting data of people with their age, their disease. It will be conducted in all 10 zones across the city.